RIA briefing: The status of the 2019 RNEP projects and other enhancement schemes 21 October 2022
Contents: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Introduction Background to the RNEP RIA assessment of the 2019 RNEP projects Other enhancement schemes
Page 1 Pages 1-2 Pages 2-10 Pages 10-14
1. Introduction In 2019 the UK Government published a list of 58 rail enhancement projects in what was then a new Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) report. There are significant benefits in setting out a transparent pipeline of rail projects. It gives companies the confidence to take investment decisions – anticipating the skills, capabilities, technologies that will be needed, and where these will need to be deployed. It is also essential to get best value for money from projects: a healthy supply chain that is ready to undertake work will result in the most efficient and appropriate responses. So RIA, on behalf of its members, consistently calls on Government to make clear, long-term commitments in the rail sector that provide transparency and predictability. This briefing contains an analysis of progress on the 58 projects in the original RNEP, conducted for members of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), as well as for any other interested parties in the wider UK supply chain. It categorises our understanding of the current status of key rail projects, and is based on publicly available information, aiming to gather all relevant information in one place to provide an overview of decisions so far and highlight where the big uncertainties are. There are, unavoidably, gaps in the picture where decisions on schemes or funding levels are yet to be announced. Section 2 of this document is a reminder of the RNEP process, Section 3 reviews the current status of the 58 projects included in the 2019 RNEP, and Section 4 identifies projects which have been announced since the 2019 RNEP. 2. Background to the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) In 2018, the UK Government announced plans to move investment decisions for rail enhancements receiving funds from central government in England and Wales away from the five-year funding cycle for which Network Rail still receives funding for Operations, Maintenance and Renewals (OMR). The idea behind the RNEP was to “create a rolling programme of investment which focusses on delivering real benefits for passengers, freight users and the economy.”1
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/953967 /rail-network-enhancements-pipeline-document.pdf